Canonical Theism: A Proposal for Theology and the Church. Edited by William J.

Abraham, Jason E. Vickers, and Natalie B. Van Kirk. Eerdmans, 2008. 352 pp. $36
(paper).

Canonical Theism is an ecumenical compilation of essays intent on orienting

Christian theology toward a recovery of neglected aspects of the canonical heritage. This
project is ecumenical both in the diversity of its participants and the resources upon
which it draws. The contributors come from Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox
backgrounds, united by a set of shared theses. The resources of Canonical Theism are
also ecumenical in that they appeal to the received canonical heritage of the undivided
church.
The canonical heritage consists of a list of books (the Bible), creeds, desert
mothers and fathers, icons, practices, and more. Engagement with the entirety of this
heritage is critical for the formation of persons, the healing of the church, and ultimately
the whole world. Canonical Theism situates this canonical heritage at the forefront of
Christian theology, while accentuating its soteriological function. “It operates as a
complex means of grace that restores the image of God in human beings and brings them
into communion with God and with each other in the church (p.3).”
In a previous book, Canon and Criterion, Abraham explained how theology has
suffered at the hands of poorly conceived epistemological proposals, at least since the
Reformation.1 Often, this is presented as a reduction of the canon to simply the Bible,
and construing the Bible as a criterion of knowledge. At the end of Abraham’s Canon
and Criterion, he suggested separating the ‘epistemology of theology’ from theology
proper so that theologians could continue, unimpeded by epistemological dilemmas, with
the important task of recovering neglected aspects of the canonical heritage. Canonical
Theism is the first step toward that end.
The book begins with thirty theses which clarify both the direction of the project
and the disposition of the participants. The theses clarify the distinctions between
canonical theism and other forms of theism such as philosophical theism, open theism,
and classical theism. The theses also make explicit the canonical theists methodological
commitments as represented by thesis 21, “Canonical Theism gives intellectual primacy
to ontology over epistemology (p.5).”
Working out from these theses, the rest of the book is divided into three parts.
Part one represents the real heart of the project as writers engage the canonical heritage
directly. Here essays explore the Holy Spirit in the formation of the canon, an essay on
scripture, on the episcopacy, liturgy, sacraments, saints, and Icons.
Briefly I will highlight the essay by Paul Gavrilyuk on Canonical Liturgies.
Gavrilyuk argues against any overly simplified assertion of lex orandi legem statuat
credendi, that the rule of prayer establishes the rule of faith. “Liturgical practices are
fraught with theological ambiguities and often cannot resolve even the most fundamental
disputes conclusively (p.65).” He therefore seeks a greater sense of interdependence
between the Canon of Scripture and the Rule of Prayer.
Part two is oriented toward ecumenism by inviting the diversity of communities in
Christian theology to the conversation. Here essays explore the doctrine of the Trinity,

1
William J. Abraham, Canon and Criterion in Christian Theology: From the Fathers to Feminism
(Oxford University Press, USA, 2002).
the Philokalia, papal infallibility, the authority of scripture, and the connection of
Canonical Theism to evangelicalism. There is also an essay on interdisciplinary
scholarship and the idea of the canonical heritage as a means of grace.
Frederick Aquino’s essay on the Philokalia submits that, “reconnecting the
intellectual dimension of theological judgment to the process of spiritual formation is key
for constructing a more robust understanding of theology (p.176).” He sees the
Philokalia as instrumental to this end. Aquino focuses on the role virtues play in the
intellectual formation of persons. He then makes explicit links between the virtue-
theoretic accounts in the Philokalia with contemporary analytic virtue epistemology.
Finally, part three offers implications for education, systematic theology, and the
church respectively. These essays have a greater pastoral feel to their intent. As it is that
William Abraham wrote two of the last three, we get an even greater sense of his heart
and passion both for the rigor of the academy and even more so for the healing and
formation of the church.
This book will be of great interest to informed laypersons, church leaders, and
academic theologians alike. These essays exhibit a fine touch of academic rigor and
graceful accessibility from professors of theology, history, spiritual formation, and New
Testament studies. The Canonical Theism effort demands our full attention, thoughtful
reflection, and compels eager anticipation for future developments.

A. J. Woods
Austin, Texas